i2 4 DISCRIMINATIONS CHAP. 



new animal form, with new powers, fitted 

 for new spheres of activity and of enjoy- 

 ment. All these incomprehensible facts 

 in which nothing but the blinding effects 

 of familiarity conceals from us the really 

 creative processes involved demon- 

 strate the absurdity of supposing that new 

 species could not be evolved from germs 

 except by steps infinitesimally slow, and 

 accumulated through unnumbered ages. 

 This powerful argument, securely 

 founded on the most notorious facts of 

 the living world, has for many years 

 entirely relieved my mind from the 

 supposed difficulty of reconciling all that 

 is essential in the idea of creation with 

 the pretended competing idea of evolu- 

 tion or development. I have not, how- 

 ever, hitherto used it publicly, not having 

 had a fitting opportunity of so doing. 

 But I do not recollect having seen it 

 used by others. It is, therefore, with 



